February 08, 2010

Quinn says no payback for pawnbroker out $2 million for lieutenant governor

Gov. Pat Quinn and fellow Demcratic leaders began the delicate dance of picking a new running mate for Quinn today, while emphasizing there was no horse-trading involved in a scandal-ridden Chicago pawnbroker’s decision to abandon his primary nomination for lieutenant governor.

Quinn said Cohen should not be reimbursed for the roughly $2 million in personal funds he poured into his campaign, and a spokesman for Democratic Party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan agreed, saying the topic never surfaced in Madigan’s two conversations with Cohen leading up to his teary-eyed withdrawal Sunday night.

Already at least two of the five rivals who Cohen bested in last Tuesday’s primary have said they want to be considered for his replacement – state Rep. Art Turner of Chicago and state Sen. Terry Link of Waukegan. But other names are also being thrown around as the Democratic Party considers how to balance a ticket that is heavily weighted with Chicago candidates.

Quinn said Cohen did the right thing by quitting less than a week after his surprise win.

The governor said he never met or reached out to his presumptive running mate, and that he only found out about Cohen's decision to drop out by watching television coverage of the announcement, which Cohen made during half-time of the Super Bowl.

But Cohen cited advice from Madigan, who met privately with him Friday, as helping him make his decision.

During an interview this morning on WLS-AM (890), Cohen said Madigan never offered to help raise money to repay the former candidate for the funds he put into the campaign.

Asked by show co-host Don Wade if Cohen was out the more than $2 million in personal funds he contributed to his own campaign, Cohen said, “I’m out right now.”

Asked if he was promised any help with his business, Cohen responded: “No. No. You know, I hope that there’ll come a time that I try to fundraise to get some of the money back. But there were no promises. (Madigan) never said that he was going to fundraise for me.”

A Madigan spokesman confirmed that fundraising never came up in the conversations with Cohen.

“It wasn’t discussed and no way would he (Madigan) be involved in fundraising for Mr. Cohen or direct others to do so,” Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said. Madigan had a face-to-face meeting with Cohen on Friday in Madigan’s law office and a telephone conversation later Sunday.

UPDATE 1:18 p.m. from Rick Pearson and Monique Garcia -- Quinn and Cohen say no offer made to reimburse him.

Gov. Pat Quinn today said he doesn't think Scott Lee Cohen should be reimbursed for the roughly $2 million in personal funds he poured into his campaign for lieutenant governor now that he is dropping his Democratic nomination.

Quinn said the Chicago pawnbroker with the controversial past did the right thing by quitting less than a week after his surprise win in the Feb. 2 primary.

The governor said he never met or reached out to his presumptive running mate, and that he only found out about Cohen's decision to drop out by watching television coverage of the announcement, which Cohen made during half-time of the Super Bowl.

But Cohen cited advice from Democratic Party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan, who met privately with him Friday, as helping him make his decision.

During an interview this morning on WLS-AM (890), Cohen said Madigan never offered to help raise money to repay the former candidate for the funds he put into the campaign.

Asked by show co-host Don Wade if Cohen was out the more than $2 million in personal funds he contributed to his own campaign, Cohen said, “I’m out right now.”

Asked if he was promised any help with his business, Cohen responded: “No. No. You know, I hope that there’ll come a time that I try to fundraise to get some of the money back. But there were no promises. (Madigan) never said that he was going to fundraise for me.”

Quinn said he was unaware of any efforts to help Cohen get his $2 million back for dropping out.

“Not from me, and not from I think anyone else," Quinn said. "I don’t believe that would be the way to go. Offerings. The answer is no.”

But Quinn did offer some sympathy for Cohen after watching the tearful news conference the candidate had with his family surrounding him.

“I think anyone who’s human would be sympathetic to a man who spoke from his heart,” Quinn said. “I met him on the campaign trail and I always found him to be a person who had a real heart for the working people.”

Cohen used his money for a blitz of broadcast campaign ads touting his job fairs, which helped him overcome a crowded field that included veteran state lawmakers. It was only after his nomination win that details of domestic abuse allegations, his relationship with a prostitute and his troubled financial history were uncovered by the media, creating a potential disaster for Democrats.

Cohen has argued the allegations were overblown and that he was transparent about his career and the 2005 domestic violence case that was dismissed.

The governor said he does not blame Madigan or other Democratic leaders for the Cohen situation.

“Things happen,” Quinn said. “The Democratic Party is alive and well and very strong.”

Quinn said he will push lawmakers this session to change the way lieutenant governors are elected, so instead of being elected separately the governor and lieutenant governor would run as a team in the primary election.

“I think given the history of this, it’s probably the best way to go,” Quinn said. “Given the words of the constitution that the lieutenant governor is given assignments by the governor… I think given all that, it’s, I think a better way to go.”

Quinn refused to say who might be on his short-list of potential running mates, saying he’s “open minded to a number of folks.”

Asked what qualifications he is looking for, Quinn said “I want to run with somebody who’s qualified to be governor, who has a record of public service, someone who is able to speak to ordinary, every day people in plain language about the importance of the economy and stands up for the progressive values of the Democratic Party.”

He said he would like a decision on a running mate “sooner rather than later,” though he would not set a deadline.

“I think it’s important to have this collaboration, to have this discussion among Democrats, to make sure everyone has their voice heard," Quinn said.

He refused to say if he’s reached out to anyone yet, saying people have called him.

“This process is just begun,” Quinn said.

In the WLS-AM interview, Cohen called the uproar after his nomination last Tuesday "a crucifixion.”

To his supporters, Cohen said, “I’m sorry that--how do I put it into words--you put your trust in me and I don’t want you to think for one second that I abandoned you or that I had let you down.

"I mean, I did let you down because I resigned, but the pressure was just so great on my family, from the media and there was a possibility that the party thought I would bring down the ticket and that would have hurt the vote for me even more,” Cohen said in the WLS-AM interview.

Cohen's official withdrawal may have to wait for the results of Tuesday's election to be certified by the state on March 5.

In the meantime, the scramble for a replacement is underway and will ultimately be made by the ruling Democratic State Central Committee.

Republicans see advantage in the Democratic fiasco, but they still have their own unrest in the governor's race. State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington is nursing a slim lead over state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, but neither man is declaring a winner while they wait for final absentee and provisional ballots to be counted. After that, a recount could further delay clarity for the GOP.

UPDATE AT 11:20 a.m. by Monique Garcia and David Heinzmann -- Hynes not interested in being Quinn's running mate

Gov. Pat Quinn said today that his Democratic rival, Dan Hynes, does not want to be his running mate to replace the controversial Chicago pawnbroker who announced he would walk away from the party's nomination for lieutenant governor.

Quinn told reporters this morning that he spoke with Hynes today on another topic but the issue of Scott Lee Cohen's withdrawal came up. Hynes said he was not interested in the opening, the governor said.

Cohen dropped out of the race Sunday night, citing a lack of support from Democratic officials and concerns that controversies over his background could hurt the ticket. His decision came after a private meeting Friday with Democratic Party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Quinn said this morning that he felt "sympathetic" for Cohen when he watched his tearful announcement Sunday. But Quinn said Cohen made the best decision for the people of Illinois and for the Democratic ticket.

"It's never easy making those decisions, and I commend him for doing that, for making a decision that puts our state and our party and our country ahead of personal interests," Quinn said.

A spokesman for Cohen said today the conversation with Madigan was in the form of "valued advice from a political veteran.

There were no ultimatums or incentives, but Madigan explained to Cohen "the trajectory of how the race would go" if he remained in, and that if he got out now he may be able to salvage a future in politics, Swilley said.

Swilley said the conversation left open the idea that if Cohen helped the party control the damage, he could begin to rebuild his name and move on, perhaps running for public office down the road.

Cohen asked Madigan for help recouping the millions he spent on his campaign. Madigan made no such offer, Swilley said, but Cohen views the matter as an "open discussion."

"We are certainly going to ask for help," he said. "We're going to ask them to help us with some fundraisers."

Swilley said Cohen wants to continue holding job fairs, like the ones he publicized in his expensive campaign ad blitz.

In a statement, Turner commended the embattled Cohen for stepping down after damaging disclosures involving Cohen’s ex-wife and ex-girlfriend. Turner finished about 20,000 votes behind Cohen in the Tuesday primary featuring six candidates for the nomination.

The vacancy will be decided by members of the Democratic State Central Committee.

Turner is a Chicago legislator for nearly 30 years and a member of the leadership team under Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is also chairman of the state Democratic Party.

“Gov. Pat Quinn heads an outstanding slate of accomplished legislators on the Democratic ticket that far surpass the Republican candidates in every important regard,” Turner said in a statement. “It continues to be my desire to join this exceptional group of individuals as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and to bring my 30 years of experience to the executive branch as we solve the difficult economic and social challenges that face this great state."

But some state central committee members have said privately that they should look beyond the field of contenders who ran for the lieutenant governor nomination, noting the statewide ticket lacks a contender from outside Chicago.

Other candidates for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket were state Rep. Mike Boland of East Moline and state Sens. Terry Link of Waukegan and Rickey Hendon of Chicago. Thomas Castillo of Elmhurst also was a candidate.

In a private meeting with Cohen Friday, Madigan urged Cohen to drop his nomination, according to a spokesman for Madigan.

Cohen thanked Madigan during an emotional news conference at a Far North Side bar Sunday night at half time of the Super Bowl.

I agree Cohen should have been alllowed to stay. If you want to get an idea as to why Quinn won and Hynes didn't, take a look at the people who were at Quinn's HQ the night of the election and other officials who backed him, Madigan, Jesse White, Bobby Rush, Alexi, etc. all of the people who to keep things the same. Hynes really wanted to be responsible and they knew it. The dem leadership is not listening. I am another former dem going GOP this Nov.

This is Illinois, Chicago. I mean what do you expect. Do you really expect the people to have a voice. I have never heard anything so strange in my life. Someone wins the nomination then their political party begins to attack them so they will not go in Nov. What makes them think people want Quinn so much. This is what happens when you have a two party system. We need multiple parties with access to get their candidates on the ballot.

To those of you saying that Cohen won "fair and square" and shouldn't have been forced off the ticket, I call BS. I did my research on all six candidates for "lite guv," and none of this seamy business about Cohen surfaced, so I voted for the guy based on his platform. As I have stated elsewhere, I felt totally duped by the man. I am glad he has stepped down.

Obviously real votes don't count when the Dems don't like you. They are always saying EACH VOTE MUST COUNT - yeah unless the person is not in the machine - then they pressure you to quit.

How long in Illinois going to put up with this type of crap? Nice of Dubin to place the QUIT call as well. I'm hope the outrage of all who voted for this man - knowing his history up front decide in November that enough is enough and get rid of the boot on our necks and get ride of the machine at every level.

Thi entire episode is disgusting. Cohen ran, as an open book, and won the vote of the people. Suddenly, the professional career politicians in the democratic party decide he's not a good choice, and unilaterally take away the vote of the citizens. This, from the same people who ginned up Stroger's run, and support Gianoullias' run. The hypocrisy is sickening. I'm done with any democratic support.

You'd have to be an idiot to believe there's not going to be some form of payback to Cohen. He may have some colorful things in his past, but he's not a moron. However, if you step back and look at the big picture...this is frightening on many levels. Just because the Democratic party thinks this guy is bad baggage, they force him to drop out? Just plain frightening. I guess that is living proof the politicians think they know more than the electorate that voted him in!

200000 people? That's not exactly the State of Illinois. The system for selection of Lieutenant Governors should have been changed years ago. (The system for selection of Governors isn't so crash-hot either: the person who wants to vote against Quinn can't even know yet who his opponent even is: the Republican primary is up in the air.)

I voted for Cohen because I liked his programs and ideas, not because of who he was. 200,000 plus Illinoisians had their rights usurped because the powers that be didn't want an outsider they couldn't control, seems to me that also describes Pat Quinn of a few years ago. I say put the man back on the ticket in the spot that he was RIGHTFULLY ELECTED TO! It's time that the Democratic party in Illinois listened to the voters. And if you can't or wont put him back on than return his money.

This just shows us what kind of foks we have in politics-rotten ones. The guy won the primary. The voters spoke. So he has a dicey background. He was voted in fair and square. Then the powers that be force him out and do not reimburse him. He should have held out until the punks in office paid his bills. Posted by Illinois's newest Republican.

Cohen was elected by the voters and should remain on the ticket. Is this the "right" to vote that we are suppose to be proud of ? The Democratic Committee after the fact decides who should be on the ticket. Not only should you be ASHAMED you should give the man his MONEY BACK. What a bunch of hypocrites.

Isn't it funny how the liberal Democrats are so fast at accusing Republicans of taking away certain rights from citizens and then they turn around and take away our biggest right, the right for our vote to count.

Illinois will soon be a Red State and the Dummycrats have no one to blame but themselves and their arrogance.

Let me get this straight. Governor Quinn can make a 45% return on a foruteen year old campaign fund for his failed Senate race. He demands that Cohen, who got 200,000 votes drop out of the race because he does not like pawnbrokers with no college degrees.

Quinn says it is improper to reimburse Cohen? No one in the media is laughing at Quinn of this blatant hypocrisy?

Seems to me that given there was an election, the immediate runner up to Cohen should get the Lt. Governor Democratic spot. Forget about the Democratic Committee finding someone.

Aren't there some rules written someplace in the "election statute" that spells out the chain of command if someone bows out or dies post-primary? Shouldn't Illinois continue to utilize the primary results?

You have to an idiot to believe their was no payoff--- the man spend millions of his own money and just walk away without any compensation he`s not that dumb-- he was smart enought to win the election and you wonder why the state in debt-- keep voting for the same people and the state will never get out of money crisis

I didn't vote for Cohen, but I think the Democrats handled this very very poorly. I'm disgusted by them, quite frankly. AND, this is the first time I can remember that I agree with Daley on anything, with him lambasting the Dems for trying to get Cohen to resign. Who's next that they don't like and want off the ticket??

I refuse to vote for these fools again in the fall. I was already going to jump party lines and vote for Topinka for Comptroller, but now, I think I might also write Scott Lee Cohen's name in for Governor, or just vote Green Party. Just based on the principle of the thing.

For better or worse the people of the state of Illinois chose Scott Lee Cohen as their rep for Lt. Gov. I find it infuriating that the Democrats of this state have chosen to eliminate Cohen for his past, knowing full well that the Dems Senate chose Alexi has much more negative issues because those issues are dealing with his families bank and the ties to it. Mr. Cohen didn't fit into the regular mold of a politician but at least I know he was not hiding anything.

Mr. Cohen may not be what the party wanted but it was what the people chose and I thought that's what a democracy was.

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